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Re:Ask HN: I've been slacking off at Google for 6 years. How... by lowdose on Monday January 06, 2020 @04:30AM (#21967813)
For anyone else wondering what "fobs" means.

Oxford dictionary plural for: A chain attached to a watch for carrying in a waistcoat or waistband pocket.

Re:Ask HN: I've been slacking off at Google for 6 years. How... by hsikka on Monday January 06, 2020 @04:52AM (#21967925)
I believe it is an acronym for "Fresh Off the Boat", i.e. an immigrant. It's a slang term and I personally don't use it too much but have heard it used fairly often.
Re:Ask HN: I've been slacking off at Google for 6 years. How... by xenihn on Monday January 06, 2020 @05:38AM (#21968100)
I'd argue that the modern definition has nothing to do with immigrant status, and is entirely about whether or not you can pass as a native English speaker. It just so happens that most people who have accents are immigrants, and you can reasonably assume that anyone who didn't grow up speaking English as a native language is going to have an accent.

You are not a fob if you moved here from China at 9 years old, didn't read or speak your first word of English until then, and have no discernible accent as an adult.

No one would call a Hong Konger with a HK English accent a fob either.

Re:Ask HN: I've been slacking off at Google for 6 years. How... by thatfrenchguy on Monday January 06, 2020 @08:19AM (#21968885)
> you can pass as a native English speaker

Also clothing :-)